As Peter and Gwen made their way up to the front door, he reached out and rang the bell.
A moment later, the door opened, and both of them froze in surprise. Standing inside Dr. Curt Connors' home was none other than Dr. Otto Octavius.
"Dr. Octavius?" Peter and Gwen said in sync, eyes wide in disbelief.
Otto lifted his brows as recognition struck. "Wait a minute… Peter Parker, right? The one from that Oscorp trip?"
Peter scratched the back of his head with a nervous laugh. "Ehehe… well, what a small world. But what are you doing here, sir?"
"Otto called us."
Peter and Gwen spun around at the same time, nearly jumping out of their skins. Norman Osborn stood behind them with a grin.
"JESUS!" they yelled, hands flying to their chests like they had just suffered a heart attack.
Norman laughed as he stepped inside, clearly enjoying their reaction. "Ah, the gang's all here."
Dr. Curt Connors appeared next, slipping on his coat as he walked forward and welcomed everyone into the house. Peter and Gwen exchanged quick glances, still a little startled as they all settled in.
They asked what exactly this surprise dinner was about. Both Peter and Gwen had assumed they were the only ones invited.
Everyone gathered around the dining table when Curt suddenly lifted his right arm and flexed his fingers.
His once missing hand was now completely restored.
"How?!" Otto shot to his feet, shaking with shock, and Norman leaned forward, brows tightening in confusion.
Curt smiled proudly and pointed straight at Peter. He explained how Peter had given him a theoretical hint during the Oscorp school trip and how it pushed him to reconsider the regeneration formula from a new angle.
Peter laughed nervously. "Ehehe… I just gave a hint."
"Nonsense," Curt said, waving off the humility. "And not just that. I enhanced the serum as well."
Peter blinked. "Say what now?"
Curt straightened with confidence and revealed the improved version of the Lizard regenerative serum.
Peter cautiously asked, "Umm, did you test it?"
"Of course, boy," Curt replied.
Peter exhaled deeply, shoulders dropping in relief. At least Curt had triple-checked the serum.
They all settled in for dinner soon after, plates and utensils clinking softly as conversation flowed.
They talked about science, breakthroughs, projects, and old memories. Curt, Richard Parker, Norman, and Otto traded stories from their early days, the room filling with laughter and nostalgia.
During the night, Otto placed a hand on Peter's shoulder and invited him to visit his home the following week to work together on the neuro-link biometric project.
Peter agreed quickly, but the shift in his tone and the stiffness in his expression didn't go unnoticed.
Gwen saw it. His face had dulled. His smile faded. Something in him had gone hollow.
She didn't question it yet. She waited, choosing her moment.
When dinner finally ended and everyone stepped outside, the adults paused upon seeing Peter's new motorcycle.
"Wow, Peter. I didn't know you were into those old-style models," Norman said, clearly impressed.
As they parted ways, Gwen climbed onto the back of the bike, and Peter drove her home. When they arrived at her building, she hopped off and turned to him with a serious look.
"Peter," she said quietly. "Back there… why did your face and tone change? It felt like something from your past life."
Peter stared ahead, lips pressed tightly together before he finally answered. "Aunt May died because of Otto Octavius in my past life. And it was also my fault for not noticing the symptoms of his neurological illness."
Gwen's eyes softened. "So you agreed to help Otto because you want to make sure his bio-link project succeeds this time?"
"Yeah," Peter said. "Norman funded it before, but it didn't go anywhere. The system malfunctioned and destroyed Otto's mind. It turned him into the monster he became."
"I see," she murmured, stepping closer. "Do you need help?"
Peter smiled faintly. "I just… don't want to be a burden to you."
Gwen rolled her eyes affectionately. "Peter, come on."
He chuckled. "Nah. I got this one. Besides, in the next few days, you'll be an intern for Curt Connors thanks to your dad."
"Wait, what?!" Gwen's jaw dropped.
"Yup."
"You want me to make sure Connors' cure stays under control?"
"If things go out of hand, get out as fast as possible, okay?"
She sighed. "Fine. You're the boss."
Peter leaned forward, but Gwen was already pulling him in. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers slipping into his hair as she kissed him deeply.
Heat rushed up his spine, and she pulled back only when she wanted to breathe, licking her lips with a bold, playful grin.
Peter blinked, stunned, as she turned and walked toward her apartment.
"For some reason… she's gotten bolder," he whispered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck with a smile he couldn't hide.
Later at Midnight
In the Osborn mansion, silence filled the halls as Norman Osborn sat alone in his study.
A single lamp illuminated the medical report in his hands. His eyes narrowed while he reread the final line.
Multiple personality disorder.
Unstable. No emergence yet.
Avoid stress. Avoid overwork.
Norman slowly exhaled through his nose. The muscles in his jaw tightened, but he forced himself to stay composed.
He folded the report carefully, almost ritualistically, and slipped it back into the drawer.
"Unstable… but not yet," he murmured. "As long as I keep control."
He rose from the chair, smoothing his suit with a steadying breath, then made his way down the quiet hallway toward his private laboratory.
The automated doors slid open, revealing the cold glow of polished metal and humming machinery.
Norman stepped inside.
The futuristic suit stood displayed on the center platform, sleek, armored and predatory.
Beside it rested the glider, its blades gleaming under the fluorescent lights like the talons of a waiting beast.
Norman approached the workstation where rows upon rows of small green vials were arranged in perfect alignment.
He picked one up, turning it slowly under the light as the liquid shimmered like toxic emerald fire.
His reflection in the glass warped slightly over the curve of the vial.
"Quest Aerospace…" Norman whispered, eyes darkening with resolve. "I will not lose this contract."
He placed the vial back in its slot with a soft click, the determination in his expression hardening into something fiercer, sharper, hungrier.
Above him, the lab lights flickered once—just enough to catch the edge of a shadow stretching behind him.
And that is, the goblin within unknown.
---
Chapter 20 — End.